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Even though we've got the Christmas tree up and everywhere we go, we're inundated with Christmas marketing, I'm still excited to continue with the Vintage Autumn Celebration. We've only got 3 weeks after this, and I want to savor every one!

I've realized that I haven't talked much about beverages in any of my wartime challenges or series, and I'm hoping to do a series next year focusing on 1940s wartime beverages to remedy that. In the meantime, the first recipe for this week is for Maple Cream Gingerale. And, let me tell you, this looks awesome! (Can anyone tell me why the drinks must be stirred with a silver fork? haha!)

Alice Bradley Menu-Cook-Book, 1944
The second recipe is for Maple Caramels. This sounds equally yummy. Caramel is about one of the few candies I actually enjoy eating. The rest I could take it or leave it. But a good caramel? Mmmmm....
The Joy of Cooking, 1946

I'm introducing two new sources for this week's vintage maple recipes. The first is Maple Cinnamon Buns (YUM!) from Watkin's Cook Book from 1945. Watkins is well known for their spices and extracts. You can still get their products today. Vanilla is usually the easiest to find. I had a friend recommend the Watkin's cookbook, so I hunted down a wartime copy. I think this cinnamon bun recipe is the only maple one in there, but it sounded like a really good one! The cinnamon might overpower the maple flavor, but I think it's worth trying it out.

The second recipe is for Maple Mousse from a vintage cookbook with an interesting premise for the time - The Working Girl's Own Cook Book from 1950. This mousse sounds really good and I think it would be a great way for that lovely maple flavor to shine!

It's been awhile since I've posted something non-food related, so when I saw this cool service opportunity, I just had to share! The National Archives has millions of documents in its collections that are free for the public to peruse. The challenge, of course, is that most people are not able to visit the archives in person. It's their mission to digitize their documents so that they can be available to all! Neat, huh?

Of course that means tons of volunteers are needed to help transcribe and tag documents. You can be a citizen archivist! You pick a project that looks interesting and get to work. I am super, super excited that one of their projects is transcribing World War II menus! How cool is that??! I think we all know what I'm going to be working on...

I did an internship at my university's archives, so I know how tedious archivists jobs are. But I also know how vital their work is in preserving documents to our nation…

We've only got 5 more weeks of autumn left. Nooo! I want it to last longer! We went to visit family out in Iowa recently and while the whole landscape was filled with beautiful autumn colors, they got snow. I don't think I'm quite ready for the snow thing!

This week's recipes are some fun, kid-friendly recipes. The first is another from The Mapeline Cook Book, ca. 1930s, for Mapleine Animals. I love how the recipe assumes you cook over a fire and that these iced cookies are a "healthful confection for children." haha! I guess if it's a choice between these and a handful of candy, these would win out in a health contest, but still... I find the predominating opinion about sugar in those days to be interesting. I think they definitely shaped our current American sugar addiction. But, that's a discussion for another day. :-)

The second recipe for Maple-Sugar Graham Crackers comes from The Good Housekeeping Cook Book, from 1944. The recipe is insanely si…

Another week into the Vintage Autumn Celebration where I highlight some amazing vintage maple recipes.
It’s amazing how autumn is just clipping along. My family has already perfected the art of caramel apple cider. And we’ve finally got some fall colors here in Maryland. I thought it would never come!
Leaves are falling, storms are blowing through. In fact, a small tornado hit my town Friday night! We were a few miles from where all the damage was. Thankfully, no one in town was hurt. Like with any disaster, it's hard to comprehend that just hours or days before, everything was normal but in one brief moment of time, things are destroyed.
I'm sure people in wartime felt the same way, especially in Britain and with all the bombings they endured. I know it's hard to really understand everything they went through, but in circumstances like natural disasters, I think we can come close to understanding a little. I had the chance to talk with a sweet great-grandma at an autho…